1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to log splitters which are driven by electrical power and are capable of being broken down into sections for transport.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, log splitters have been gaining popularity in use because many people are using wood as a fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,636 shows a small log splitter that uses a power head of a chain saw and has a screw actuator where the screw rotates and the splitting wedge itself moves along the screw. The screw is driven through a bevel gear drive from the chain saw motor.
A conventional or standard log splitter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,062 which shows a power package for driving a hydraulic pump and then uses the pump for running a hydraulic cylinder for operating the splitter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,395 shows a double screw log splitter that is driven through the use of an automobile wheel which rotates a pair of friction drums 48 and 50 shown in the patent. A ramp is provided so that the rear wheels of a vehicle such as a pickup truck can be backed up on the ramp and positioned in between the two drums.
A fixed wedge is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,395 and also in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,062.
An electric motor used for driving a hydraulic pump in a wood splitting machine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,851,072 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,707 shows a wheel mounted log splitter utilizing a traveling nut on a screw wherein the screw is driven by an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,283,195 shows a longitudinally moving screw driving a log splitter wedge. The patent shows a substantially different type of device different from the log splitter of the present invention but it does include a wedge 8 that is driven with a rotating nut moving a screw 10 longitudinally for the splitting action.
A rack and pinion driven log splitter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,251. Another hydraulically powered log splitter using an internal combustion engine as the power source is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,110.